GU chocolate company Marketing Plan

Introduction James Averdieck readily acknowledges the competitive nature of the food industry in Britain. Large multinationals daunt the industry thus are not ready to search for new customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on GU chocolate company: Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, making entries into new markets is rather intricate. In the past seven years, GU has made significant progress in establishing its market niche by elevating its ability to enter new marketplaces thus rapidly expanding revenues (Averdieck 2011). The management established that most customers buy their products from supermarkets and retail shops. The most effective way to market product entails linking up with strategic partner, advertising and ensuring that product quality does not depreciate. Overview of the organisation GU chocolate company focuses on the fabrication of confectionary products with puds as the m ain product. Launched in 2003, the entity has grown admirably. This is attributable to resilience of the management. GU, which had three products, at the beginning has turned its fortunes around by rapidly expanding its product portfolio and now boasts of a wide variety of products. The subsequent founding of Fru, which is a sibling company, has helped GU to assert its influence in the market. Their product includes mousses, cakes, chocks and other delicacies that are a preserve of the adults. Marketing of chocolate is very sensitive to packaging (Averdieck 2011). A professional management team led by James the founder of the institution heads the entity. Their experience will count in trying to market their brand in a market that is very competitive. The expansive range of product that GU deals with helps in establishing its niche since it provides a large variety of products. The entity’s main strength lies in its experienced management and expanding market share.Advertisin g Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main challenge to this organisation is competition and the need to maintain appropriate quality (Perner 2008). For GU to survive the entity needs to offer more than what other ordinary Chocolate company’s offer. Target market Consumers of Chocolate Puds are adults. Such a target market has disposable income hence pricing should be moderate. Due to the product range, this entity offers, it can segment its market. GU’S customers are available in many countries in Europe (Averdieck 2011). Marketing will assist GU to make an entry in new lucrative markets. Marketing Goals GU puds aim at expanding its market share, a process that will require the management to enact several measures. To achieve an expanded market share, GU will have to launch an audacious advertising campaign that will draw new customers. Winning a significant fraction of the market will require creation a noticeable brand name to counter competition and assert influence in the market. Moreover, the entity would need to put in place appropriate strategies to ensure that the products reach the new target market, which is the major challenge to entities in such an industry. Market strategies In an industry, that has Multinational Corporation as players; a tender firm like GU will need to initiate effective strategies as the competitors have expansive financial resources. A forceful crusade in media that include Television and print media is necessary. To enable GU compete with other multinationals, it can develop various products that suite different economic classes. This would allow the company to discriminate prices thus, reaping maximum profit (Perner 2008). GU will forge agreements with companies that can help in marketing products. Airlines are perfect example as they address the needs of a noticeable fraction of clientele. GU’S product wi ll be available as delicacies during the flights. The catering division, which promotes cuisine, will be pivotal in promoting puds as it sets the standards in the provisions industry. A large proportion of puds reach customers through supermarket and retailing chains therefore, it is the management’s priority set up mutual agreement with their distributors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on GU chocolate company: Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Puds consumers are sensitive to packaging and quality (Averdieck 2011). GU must prioritize the enhancement of product quality in face of growing demand for their product. Packaging is crucial in confectionary products as it attracts customers’ attention. It is evident that poor packaging leads to dwindling sales. However, there is minimal difference between products sold to the higher and lower end of the market. Evidently, the firms that distin guish the market exploit the value difference by offering classy packaging. GU will take up social responsibility in the different countries where it operates. Social programs will help in building its corporate image and promoting the brand name thus boosting its sales. The above entity is expanding rapidly thus, it needs to initiate decisions swiftly. Decision making needs logistical support and the planned creation of logistic department will be a plus in facilitating decision-making supported by research and data from the market. Obesity that is attributable to junk food like puds is on the rise. In an effort to adhere to the various calls by social movements and governments, GU should create products that do not pose health concerns. Customers are scrupulous on the delivery time. Failure to make judicious delivery leads to lessening of demand. In an effort to counter this, adequate supply, modalities ought to be in place. Customers have varying taste and GU will continue to exp and its product profile to meet all customer tastes. Implementation and Budget GU ought to make investments in production thus satisfying its widening clientele. To maintain their quality, GU will need to invest in research to enhance preparation of quality products.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The managers will seek the expertise of an advertising specialist to make advertisements that will capture the interest of potential customer and draw them to the products. GU will plough back its returns from previous financial periods and seek further capital from financial institution. Ploughed capital and loans will finance the expansion of production line and set up a research facility. To the airline corporations and hotels, the company will offer free sample to the various clients of these industries. Consultation with distribution outlets will assist in set up agreements to facilitate distribution of puds. The execution of the above strategies will require financing. Expansion of production capacity and setting up of a research facility will be a fundamental undertaking for GU. Thus, the entity will need to solicit funds from financial institution if the revenues are not adequate. GU will set aside funds to finance well-vetted social projects that promote the welfare of the members of public. By creating an extra department, the organisation will need to spend more funds internally to equip the new department with the necessary labour and equipments (Averdieck 2011). Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, preventable by consumption of products that contain the various nutrients in appropriate proportion. GU has to ensure that its products contain the required nutrients Conclusion It is necessary to sum up the plan by highlighting the evaluation process. This step acts as a control measure to assess the progress of the strategies. GU’s marketing and the logistic unit will assess the change in sales since the initiation of the marketing plan. Change in sales numbers will serve as the main assessment criteria of the plan. A negative change in sales revenue will imply that the plan has flopped necessitating review. An increase in revenues will indicate surging sales hence the plan is successful but need improvement. List of References Averdieck, J. (2011) . GÃ ¼ Chocolate Puds, Business Development Insight Web. Perner, L. (2008) Food marketing, University of Southern California Web. This essay on GU chocolate company: Marketing Plan was written and submitted by user Kimora Newton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Encomium Eminem

â€Å"Now who's the king of these rude ludicrous lucrative lyrics? Who could inherit the title, put the youth in hysterics?† Accurately depicting himself in his own lyrics, Eminem is considered to be the first major talented white rapper with such outstanding credibility. Oddly enough, his audience rarely acknowledges such an achievement; they are too stuck on analyzing the lyrics and reading between the lines. Speaking his mind, Eminem has made quite a number of enemies and a circle of controversy that surrounds him at all times. But he isn’t ignorant, he’s exactly the opposite; he’s a genius. He knows exactly what he’s doing, even when in the past he might’ve regretted opening his mouth, he is able to use everything to his advantage. The fire of his success only continues to burn because of the people who see him as a profoundly violent sexist and homophobic artist, irrevocably continue to fan his fire. But like many other media moguls, success was not easily attained by this great white rapper. Born in Kansas City with no father figure, Eminem and his mother continued to travel back and forth between Kansas City and Detroit until finally settling into the Eastside of Detroit when he turned twelve. Having to switch areas and schools, it was hard for Eminem to make friends, be comfortable with himself, graduate, and avoid trouble. Keeping his music career in mind, he dropped out of high school to work in several full time jobs that paid minimum wage. Soon after that, and luckily enough, he began attaining street credibility and recognition for his free style battling across the stages of America; And from this he was recognized by the big-time producer, Dr. Dre. Immediately recognizing Eminem’s talent and then soon thereafter, the color of his skin, Dre signed Eminem under his label, claiming that he would be able to get away with saying way more than he himself could. And it was exactly this fact that made Eminem as ... Free Essays on Encomium Eminem Free Essays on Encomium Eminem â€Å"Now who's the king of these rude ludicrous lucrative lyrics? Who could inherit the title, put the youth in hysterics?† Accurately depicting himself in his own lyrics, Eminem is considered to be the first major talented white rapper with such outstanding credibility. Oddly enough, his audience rarely acknowledges such an achievement; they are too stuck on analyzing the lyrics and reading between the lines. Speaking his mind, Eminem has made quite a number of enemies and a circle of controversy that surrounds him at all times. But he isn’t ignorant, he’s exactly the opposite; he’s a genius. He knows exactly what he’s doing, even when in the past he might’ve regretted opening his mouth, he is able to use everything to his advantage. The fire of his success only continues to burn because of the people who see him as a profoundly violent sexist and homophobic artist, irrevocably continue to fan his fire. But like many other media moguls, success was not easily attained by this great white rapper. Born in Kansas City with no father figure, Eminem and his mother continued to travel back and forth between Kansas City and Detroit until finally settling into the Eastside of Detroit when he turned twelve. Having to switch areas and schools, it was hard for Eminem to make friends, be comfortable with himself, graduate, and avoid trouble. Keeping his music career in mind, he dropped out of high school to work in several full time jobs that paid minimum wage. Soon after that, and luckily enough, he began attaining street credibility and recognition for his free style battling across the stages of America; And from this he was recognized by the big-time producer, Dr. Dre. Immediately recognizing Eminem’s talent and then soon thereafter, the color of his skin, Dre signed Eminem under his label, claiming that he would be able to get away with saying way more than he himself could. And it was exactly this fact that made Eminem as ...

Grade Inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 119

Grade Inflation - Essay Example In relation to how people learn, Uva (n.d) asserts that grade inflation contributes to an asymmetrical positioning of students in class and also in the workplaces. In essence, student placement in classrooms ought to be based on performance. If the wrong picture is painted in regard to the performance of a student, then he or she may be placed in a class handling subjects he or she is not competent in. In so doing, students are exposed to more hardships in learning and thus are more likely to receive even lower grades. Grade inflation also gives the wrong impression to employers on the competency of individuals and therefore contributing to absorption of poorly skilled individuals in the job market. One of the assumptions that trigger the caveats surrounding grade inflation is that the work of educators is to rate students in order to boost expediency for the employers during the hiring process (Kohn, 2002). Therefore, less skilled individuals are absorbed into the job market whereas the more competent group is discarded unjustly. As an example of my personal experience, my disinterest in Sciences during the later years of my high school was largely contributed by grade inflation. As a junior in high school, my science teacher used to over-rate our exams and a result, I developed an undeserved interest in sciences. Subsequently, I joined more profound science courses. The hurdles I encountered in comprehending these advanced courses relating to sciences lowered my grades significantly and hence ended up lowering my motivation and interest in learning. This shows that grade inflation can lead to unearned or unjustified placement of students in the classroom and the job market as well. Grade inflation makes it impossible

LS week5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LS week5 - Essay Example The employees follow the instructions relayed by the managers and there is very little participation as a team. The team members do not have an intricate caring for the task and this results in reduced performance throughput from the team as a whole. The traditional heroic model of leadership is followed and the leadership authority resides with individuals, based on their level of hierarchy. Being a manager I understand the need to make the employees in the team perform with an intrinsic caring for their tasks. Team empowerment is defined as increased motivation in the team at performing a task due to team members’ collective, positive assessments of their relationship to tasks within the organization (Kirkman, Rosen, 2000). As the motivation factor lacks in the organization the effort put into the task by the team is low, resulting in poor performance. Self leadership has been defined as â€Å"the influence we exert on ourselves to achieve self motivation and self-direction we need to perform† (Manz and Sims, 1991, pg.23). Self leadership qualities are a must with the team leaders and managers. As the leaders a majority of them in my organization lack these leadership skills the teams fail to succeed. The expectations are unclear, the roles and responsibilities of the team members are not elaborate and this results in missed deadlines and duplication of effort. There is poor communication within the teams and the teams are not well organized due to lack of self leadership qualities amongst the leaders. Organizations are now increasingly facing high levels of dynamic, complex changes and environmental uncertainties (Champy, Nohria, 1997). In my organization the lack of efficient facilitators has resulted in poor role clarity and poor understanding of the organizations objectives. There are numerous conflicts within the organization and the conflict resolution process has to be handled better. I have discussed about employee

Congestive Heart Failure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congestive Heart Failure - Research Paper Example When the situation happens, the heart is not capable to provide adequate blood to visceral organs including; the kidneys, brain, and liver. This condition can be caused by the failure of either the left ventricle or the right ventricle or both to function. This ineffective functioning of the heart muscle can be caused by: 2. Diseases that cause the inflexibility or more particularly the stiffening of the heart muscle. These infections of the cardiac muscles are called Myocarditis, additionally; heart attacks can weaken the heart muscles; 6. High blood pressure, on the other hand, reduces the effectiveness of the heart muscles and therefore people suffering from hypertension are at more risk of suffering from CHF than their healthy counterparts. High thyroid hormone level (hyperthyroidism) and vitamin deficiency are rare causative agents of CHF; Apart from affecting the cardiac muscles, the body may be affected by diseases that increase the oxygen demand of the body, therefore, limiting the heart from satisfying the high oxygen demand (McKee, 137). There are various symptoms that characterize or define that one may be suffering from Congestive Heart Disease and therefore likely to develop CHF. These symptoms range from the abnormal morphology of some organs of the body to psychological disturbances. Some of the morphological symptoms include unintentional weight gain, swelling of the feet, the ankles and the abdomen and visible veins in the neck region. Other symptoms include anorexia and indigestion, vomiting and nausea, lack of breath with or without activity, lack of sleep, general body weakness, and increased frequency of micturition especially at night, coughing and low level of concentration at work.  Ã‚  

Expansion difficulties with IKEA

Expansion difficulties with IKEA Cross Cultural Management Individual paper work Question: Although IKEA is a highly successful global player it has recently experienced problem in its expansion in Russia (Vasilyeva, 2009). Based on the material in Jackson (2002) discuss critically how IKEA has succeeded in instilling its Swedish ways of managing into its international subsidiaries, considering also whether cultural factors have any relevance to its current difficulties in Russia. Introduction: Before going in the question i.e. the problems IKEA is facing in Russia, we will discuss about IKEA, Sweden and IKEA in France, Germany, Spain and United States of America. Discussing about IKEA, we will know the history first, IKEA, as we all know is a Swedish company. It was started by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943, and since has grown to become worlds largest retailers of furnishing. IKEA got its name from the initials of four words, the first two from the name of the founder, Ingvar Kamprad. Making I and K, and the second two from the letters of Emltaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and the village he grew up in. IKEA started by selling pens, wallets watches etc, but out of all the furniture it sold got the greatest response, so, it opened its first store in Sweden in 1958. And in Norway and in Denmark in 1963 and 1969 respectively. Culture: We will define the IKEAs and the Swedish culture based on Hofstedes four dimensions. The four dimensions are; Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism and collectivism Masculinity and femininity. More or less the IKEA and the Swedish cultures and same, the simple reason being that IKEA is a Swedish company. Now according to the Hofstedes dimensions we can compare and tell about the cultures. We will start from the Power distance dimension, this dimension is about the distance between the employees and the managers of the company, in short, equal relations are also seen as normal in some cultures and even inequality is seen as normal in some. In Sweden, the managers and the organizational employees scored very low, i.e. there power distance is very low, they all are considered more or less equal. They scored 31 making it a follower of low power distance; where 104 is the maximum and 11 being the minimum. The second dimension we will talk about is Uncertainty avoidance, by Hofstedes definition and from the given case study (Jackson, 2002), it says that, this refers to a preference for structured situations versus unstructured situations. This dimension runs from being comfortable with flexibility and ambiguity to a need for extreme rigidity and situations with a high degree of certainty. Here again Sweden scored 29, which is low, compared to other countries like Spain and France scoring 86. 8 being minimum here and 112 being the maximum. Third in the list is Individualism and Collectivism, this factor or dimension is about the mentality or way of working of employees, that is, are they used to work as a individuals or as a group. This is again a important factor, which differentiates between the cultures. In this dimension Sweden scored 71, and here 6 being minimum and 91 being maximum. This means the Swedish culture is more individualistic. The fourth one is Masculinity and femininity, now again, according to the given case study, Hofstede (1980a) distinguishes ‘hard value‘ such as assertiveness and competition, and the ‘soft or ‘feminine values of personal relations, quality of life and caring about others, where in masculine society gender role differentiation is emphasized. So in this dimension, Sweden scored 5, which is the lowest and 95being the highest. This implies us that Swedish culture is a very feminine culture, that is they are very soft and caring kind of people. So to sum up all, we can say that Swedish culture is a low power distance, again low on uncertainty avoidance, high on individualism and a feminine culture. IKEA being a Swedish company fallows the similar culture, but, being a global player and having its existence in other different counties; it faced a lot of cultural differences. IKEA had an organizational culture similar to Swedish culture, but when it went to France or Spain or United States of America, it faced little problems there and a lot in Russia. Cultural Differences: A global player is a company which works worldwide; likewise, IKEA is a global player. It is a Swedish company and as talked about, its organizational culture is similar to the Swedish national culture. IKEA always wanted to maintain its unique ‘Swedishness. This was essential to maintain because it was there competitive advantage over other competitors and along with this, it wanted to adapt to the other different national cultures it was working in. Well that is the sign of the global player. IKEA fitted perfect in this. Over the years, IKEA spread its market mainly in Europe, North America, Middle East, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Russia. Germany, France and Sweden were its single biggest markets. It has also recently taken over Habitat, another competitor in the UK and France. IKEAs international headquarters are in Almhult, a remote location in Sweden where only Swedish is spoken, this is the place where products are designed and all the important decisions are made. Well now before we speak of Cultural differences, we will discuss about the key IKEAN cultures. They believe that a person learns by doing mistakes, it is seen as a way of learning. They encourage practically solving the problems. The managers from IKEA generally expected to share the information they have, their knowledge and skills with the employees. Hence it states employees are also considered very important in the organization and are encouraged the work and are made feel responsible. The management style is seen very casual, informal, open and caring. Hierarchy system is almost flat, with three levels of responsibilities at the store level store managers and co-workers. Co- workers may be employees or associates. The managers do not give titles on their business cards. The bureaucratic approach and status barriers are disparaged and the managers are expected to be friendly, understanding and close with the employees. The employees are also provided with a small formal training. In this culture humbleness is not seen as weakness and learning from experiences, though it takes a lot of time and patience but is a condition for moving up the ladder. â€Å"Testaments of a Furniture Dealer† a book by the founder, which sets out his philosophy is distributed throughout the organization. The managers are seen as and encouraged to act as ‘missionaries. And even one week seminar or training is provided for the managers who have not been directly exposed to the founders philosophy. Whenever IKEA opens a new store in any other country than Sweden, the store is first run by a tight knit group of managers or even called as missionaries who are in position to make of the decisions and are able to solve problems in typical IKEAN way. They are in charge of the store until the store is handed over to the local managers. Overall IKEA offers good and pleasant working environment, job security and a caring attitude to its employees. Overseas, all this has proved relatively easy in Netherlands, but didnt work in some countries, say for example in Germany, France, United States of America and Spain. Like in Germany, managers are not used to be called by first names and undermining managers authority. They are used to do what managers say, they usually take all the orders from the managers, they are not used to do work by taking owns initiative. In Germany managers suggestion are generally taken as orders. And IKEAs methods were considered as distinct or not clear. In France, unlike Sweden, informality is seen as a weakness. Being informal is considered as being indecisive. And even no formal job titles meant loss of identity; it was creating problems because they felt like they were lost in the crowd. But in United States of America, the older workers had a bit of problem working with the young American managers because of their ways of doing things. The young American managers showed a lack of elegance with the employees, but they went off with ease with the Swedish managers. But again, on the other side, there was a difference in the perception, Sweden did not believe in individual awards to maintain equality and avoid discrimination between the workers and the employees. American managers thought that it was slowing their progress in the company; they had second thoughts about their future in the company, and as the result they lost their key American managers. To overcome these problems IKEA had to work on some stuff, like in France to attract and retain the employees, they had to provide clear communication with the facts and figures, just to highlight the benefits of IKEA over its competitors. And had to create some formal training programmes for the new employees, instead of the traditional learning by doing and experience methodology. And even did some changes for the other countries as well. IKEA also gave more autonomy to the local management. In the case study, by Jackson T (2002), he gave a bit more emphasis on IKEA in Spain. It is said that IKEA was a complete unknown when it entered Spain. And since then is has mixed the IKEA culture and its Swedish characters in its Spanish Subsidiaries. Firstly, a network of Swedish managers was sent to Spain to pass on their knowhow and IKEA culture to the local management. This turned out to be an extremely important stepping stone in IKEAs entry in Spain. Even the selection of the employees is important, selecting the ‘right people is perfect way of preserving the IKEA culture. To select the employees who have not been contaminated by the culture of other companies. Moreover awareness for IKEA culture is created through introductory programmes for the co-workers and the employees by ‘IKEA Way, during which, participants are given lectures on IKEAs history, human resources ideas, and many more and by official scriptures, handbooks and other IKEA documents. The IKEAs culture, i.e. the methods they fallow, are very different from the normal style in Spain. IKEA is taking a more serious and conscious approach in developing the organization and adjusting it for the local needs. In this case, the first step was by recruiting a Spanish human resource manager. They even provided off-the-job training courses, this was done on the strong demand of the co-workers. Again the important point is they adapted a flexible salary approach is developed in order to attract and retain competent employees. Problems in Russia IKEA entered Russia almost after 5 decades of its international existence. Year 2000 was the entry year for IKEA in Russia. But unfortunately it had to face a lot of problems in Russia. IKEA has opened 12 stores in Russia till the date in all over the country. It has invested around $4 billion in the Russian market. IKEA saw Russia as a lucrative market; it was like a gold mine for IKEA. IKEA was on the verge of becoming the potent symbol of Russian consumer boom. It started attracting the young generation of the country. It was also building giant shopping malls in various cities of Russia. Overall the start was looking good. But the problems they faced were mainly the corruption in the country. Corruption was the biggest and the most disturbing problem that IKEA had to face. Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev also acknowledge on the fact that corruption is Russias national problem. On 23rd June 2009, IKEA announced that it is suspending its future investments in Russia for the time being. The official reason was given by IKEA country manage, Per Kaufmann, was the unpredictability of administrative processes in Russia. But some of the observers even believe that corruption within the country and demand for bribes was the other important reason for the decision made. The founder Ingvar Kamprad was firm on his decision that he was going to solve the problem without giving bribes. For example, in year 2004, when IKEA was about to open a outlet in Moscow, the officials there delayed the opening by giving reasons like, the parking of the store was near the gas pipe line, and because of the safety reason, they could not open it on the given date. The same thing happened with the outlet in Samara; it was delayed 8 times and still has not opened. It was about to open in November 2007, it has been 2 years and still it is at the same place. They gave a different reason every time, the recent reason was, and the store was not hurricane resistant. And was not safe, but there was data of so power hurricanes in that area. And even at the time of opening a first store in the out skirts of Moscow, they needed electricity, the officials increased the rate of the electricity, as a backup plan, they had generators, but the generator company, also increased their rates. IKEA tried to sue the company for this but unfortunately, it lost the case and in return had to pay a amount as compensation to them. IKEA also had to face accusation made by Russias anti-trust watchdog when it investigated and accused that IKEA urges the tenants at its mall outside Moscow to use services of selected companies. James Franker, head of Moscow based Red Star Asset Management also said a few things on the Russian economy like, â€Å"They need GDP growth to help them expand, and thats reversed† and he also commented about the informal taxation being very high in Russia. Conclusion: At last in the conclusion, we can say that, IKEA follows a totally different culture, it also had to face a lot of problems in other countries as well, but in Russia it had a lot more serious problems. The main problem being the corruption of the country. As given to us, Transparency International ranks Russia 147th out of 180, with countries like Kenya, Syria and Bangladesh. IKEA has stopped the investments in Russian furthermore due to such problems. In a situation where Ingvar Kamprad wants to be firm on his stand of not giving bribes, let us see what IKEA has in its future in Russia and around the world. Bibliography: Case study- Jackson T (2002), International HRM : A cross-cultural approach Rey French, cross cultural management: in work organization Ikea, http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/ikea_group_stores/russia.html. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resourses/global-etiquette/sweden.html Ikea upbeat Russia after 10 years of problem, Alex Anishyuk, Moscow times, http://www.cdi.org/russia/Johnson/2009-160-7.cfm. Why is Ikea fed up with Russia, Jason Bush, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_28/b4139033326721.htm. Ikea turns sour on Russia, http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2009/06/ikea_turns_sour.html. Ikea plans to halt investment in Russia, Andrew E Kramer, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/global/24ruble.html. Ikea tries to build public case against Russian corruption, Andrew E Kramer, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/business/global/12ikea.html?_r=1pagewanted=2

Motion Picture History Essay examples -- essays research papers

Before World War I, films were being made mostly European countries and in Japan. When the war interrupted European filmmaking, however, the American film industry began to dominate the world market. In the years between 1917 and 1927 the silent film reached the peak of its development. United States had the largest film industry and American films dominated the international market. Germany and Japan still had some movie industries but mostly left to domestic. Many nations found film production as a matter of importance to national culture, sometimes by limiting on film imports. D. W. Griffith transformed early day of domestic production to an era of Hollywood’s worldwide dominance. Major companies that dominated Hollywood were Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia, and United Artists. One of the famous MGM movies was a silent version of Ben Her. Hollywood films became increasingly expensive to make as productions became more spectacular, and the stars demanded enormous salaries. As Hollywood and film industries elsewhere produced hundreds of films each year, certain standardized forms took precedence over individual creative inspiration. Movies adopted categories, known as genres, from earlier arts and popular entertainment. These included comedy, the Western, mystery, horror, romance, melodrama, and the war story. More and more large cinemas were built, and the major producers expanded their distributing systems and bought entire chains of theaters. Major studios attempted to produce a picture a week. A typical film show consisted of a feature starring big-name players, a short comedy, and a newsreel. The 1922 film Nanook of the North, directed by the American Robert Flaherty, is often credited as the first great achievement of documentary film. Most of the films made during this period reflected the fast pace and materialistic concerns of the nation's prosperous "flapper" era. While settings and costumes were often elaborate, film stories were often shallow. Most people went to the "movies" to see film stars, and it was often the star who saved a poor film from being a total failure. Some stars, seeking freedom from the mass-production methods of large studios, banded together to form distributing companies to market films they made in their own studios. United Artists, formed in 1919 by Griffith, Chaplin, Douglas Fa... ...eras and stages. Movement in most of the early sound films appeared static, because cameras had to be enclosed in soundproof boxes that were difficult to move. Eventually cameras with noiseless gears were developed; microphones were put on booms, or poles, which could be extended as needed. Early cameras used a number of different speeds for exposing frames, but by the advent of sound film in the late 1920s the standard had become 24 frames per second. The sound revolution ended the careers of many silent-film performers whose voices did not record well, but it also brought new performers to the screen who had stage experience in speaking roles. Playwrights who knew how to write dramatic dialogue were hired to replace silent-screen scenario writers, and many plays were filmed for the screen because they provided ready-made dialogue. With the coming of sound, film animation increased popularity. Walt Disney made the first animated cartoon with synchronized sound, Steamboat Willie in 1928, which was the third film to feature the popular Mickey Mouse character. The Great Depression of 1929 did a little to affect Hollywood but ironically increased the efficiency of films production.

God in Nature Essay

Looking at two different definitions of the word nature, I gained a better understanding of what the phrase, â€Å"God in Nature†, means. The first said that it was, â€Å"the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized† (www. wordnetweb. princeton. edu), and the other described it as, â€Å"The material world and its phenomena† (www. answers. com). The earth, and everything in it, is â€Å"God in Nature†, it has the very nature of God Himself, just as it is the nature of a flower to bloom. Nature is just one of the ways that God speaks to mankind. So, in other words, God is in nature, and nature is in God. Curtis Questions Some things are learned, and some things come natural to you, you don’t know how or when they became a part of you, but you just somehow know how to do them. I believe if we’ll listen in a little harder we can hear the voice of God instructing us on how to do things a little simpler, and a little better. Just like the farmer in Isaiah, I too have experienced God enabling me to do things I was never taught. I am a singer/songwriter, and there are times I come up with things musically, and I know it is from God because I definitely wouldn’t have normally thought to do it that way. General revelation involves God’s witness through creation itself. General revelation is open to all who will receive it, for it is all around us. One thing that I have learned through general revelation is that, experience may not always be the best teacher, but it is necessary to gain wisdom in certain things, like how to discipline your children the right way. Art has played the leading role in most of my life, especially the art of music. There are times when I am feeling down, but a song will come from within, or from someone else, and it will lift my spirit. â€Å"Most Christians are omfortable using general revelation to build a house or evaluate nutrition. They are often far less comfortable using information from disciplines like psychology or anthropology (also general revelation). † (Curtis 1996) I believe it is difficult for most Christians to accept the studies of psychology and anthropology, because it is more personal, dealing with the human mind, and behavior. Christians believe we are to be disciplined in our minds by gaining the mind of Christ through His Word, and if we study too deep into our emotions and feelings (which are natural), we miss the mark. Sometimes our human emotions can cause us to think twice about the Word of God. I used to think that people who were mentally disabled had some form of demon possession, because of stories from the scripture, but as I got older and learned more about chemical imbalances in the brain etc†¦my opinion about that was changed. The Bible says â€Å"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,† says the Lord â€Å" For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. † (Isaiah 55:8-9). This is why, as Christians, we cannot solely depend on studies of the human mind and behavior. Some people refuse to accept God for who He is because of their human experiences. I knew a man once who hated God or that thought of Him because he had lost his mother at a very early age. He became bitter and began to believe God had killed his mother, so God could not be all good. Theologians with nature & Guthrie arguments â€Å"Theologians argue that man’s universal understanding that there is a divine being stands as an indication for his existence. (Wead). Shirley Guthrie (Guthrie, Christian Doctrine, Revised Edition, pages 41-42), lists six arguments used by philosophers and theologians through the centuries: â€Å" (1) the world is not self-explanatory, (2) the universe displays purpose, (3) world history and personal experience point to God’s existence, (4) conscience bears witness to the existence of God, (5) we have spiritual awareness of a divine presence deep within, and (6) the world seems to function in a rational way. † Two areas general revelation is useful Besides man’s ability to reason that there is a God, general revelation is often employed in two other areas. First, it is used to reason that there is a basic set of moral values that all men reason to be true. †(Wead) It is always said that you don’t have to teach a child how to lie, it just comes natural for them to do it, and it is the adult’s responsibility to correct that behavior. I believe we are just born with a set of moral standards built in our conscience. The child lies to begin with, because most likely they did something wrong, and are afraid of the possible consequences. Second, we reason that general revelation provides us with insight into the nature of God that we could not appreciate through special revelation alone. † (Wead). For example, our universe bears the mark of intelligent design and purpose. God speaks to us through His creation and it is not for lack of evidence that people reject God; it is because they refuse to see. General revelation is open to anyone who will open their eyes and see. General and Special Revelation General revelation, I believe was meant to be discovered through our senses, for it is in the world around us. Some things are more apparent, and other things you have to dig a little deeper to find out. Like the body and the way that it functions, we know we have a brain that sends messages to our bodies, keeping things going, but since we don’t see those brains, we must dig a little deeper to learn from it. For it too, is a part of the world around us. Nothing about DNA or nuclear fusion is found in Scripture, yet few would deny that those constitute part of reality. †(Curtis 1996). Special Revelation is the Scriptures. † In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets, at many times and in various ways. † (Hebrews 1:1). The writers were led by the Holy Spirit to communicate exactly what God was saying. â€Å"Curtis sees general revelation as an interpreter of special revelation. In other words, when we read the Scriptures we use our experience of nature to validate what we read in Scripture. † (Wead). Summary I have gained a better understanding of how useful general revelation is to the believer. I think sometimes we as Christians, get so spiritually minded that we forget there is a whole world around us, which may not necessarily be mention in the Bible, but is meant to couple with scripture to get a better understanding of the â€Å"Bigger Picture†, so to speak.

Essay About 50 Shades of Grey

Essay About 50 Shades of Grey In 2012, British author E. L. James’ erotic romance novel Fifty Shades of Grey first took the Western world by storm, in North America and Europe, garnering much attention due to its explicit content. As the first installment of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, the book portrays a deepening relationship between a college student, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Gray, in Seattle, Washington. It gained notability for its erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission and sadism/masochism (BDSM). Since then the book and the trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, has sold millions of copies worldwide, long ago entering into best-seller status, and been translated into dozens of other languages. Not bad for a book that was originally self-published as an e-book and on a print-on-demand basis. Tides turned in 2012 when Vintage Books acquired the publishing rights. And the rest is history. Though readers couldn’t get enough of the book, critical reception of the book leaned on the negative. Critics thought the quality of the prose was generally poor; that despite the racy scenes, it wasn’t written very well. Nonetheless, just before Valentine’s Day 2015, Universal Pictures produced a film based on Fifty Shades of Grey, the first book in the Trilogy, which also received generally unfavorable reviews. It premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in early February 2015. But it still went on to be an immediate box office success, making more than $400 million in the box office. It cast film stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey. A sequel to the film is planned for a 2016 release. At its core, Fifty Shades of Grey, the movie and the book (and even Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed) is all a story of transformation done out of love. Christian Grey, though successful and extremely wealthy, has a dark past – a physically abusive childhood that leaves him angry and distanced from other people and into perverted sexual practices. Anastasia then interviews him for a college paper, and over time they have an attraction that turns into a sexual relationship. At first, Christian engages in his kinky sexual games with the innocent, naà ¯ve and inexperienced Anastasia. The BDSM becomes too much for her: she begins to have feelings for him and desires for a normal relationship with romantic lovemaking. She gives him an ultimatum; she is done with the BDSM and tells Christian she will stop their relationship and leave him unless he can demonstrate a capacity to love her and show appropriate, sensitive feelings for her. It works, too. He changes for her. Throughout Fifty Shades of Grey, the book and film, Christian is also falling in love with Anastasia. The reader, or film viewer, knows this but speculates that he masks his emotional vulnerabilities with dominating, exploitative sexual practices in which he involves her repeatedly. It appears, at first, he is taking advantage of the young inexperienced girl. Using her for sex, for her body. But in the end of the first story, we learn that he transforms and embraces his more sensitive, selfless and romantic side in order to keep her. The two subsequent stories of the Trilogy focus on their relationship after they decide to date and try a serious relationship. All in all, Fifty Shades of Grey is not your classic romance story. But it may be the romance story of today’s world and society. In many regards, the story sets precedents on what can be included in and considered art and literature and film. Twenty years ago or longer, this story would have been considered risquà © and pornographic in nature. The story is a testament to the ever-changing views on sex, and is a nod to sex, even kinky sexy, becoming part of the mainstream media and world of entertainment – and not just something done behind closed doors but part of many people’s everyday life. If you are reading this article, youre most likely looking for information about the book or the movie. Or the case may be you need an essay written about the 50 Shades of Grey story. Whichever the case, is the right place to go to. Our writers can do professional research, report and essay writing on any topic there is, including  the one this article is dedicated to. To get academic writing assistance, simply visit our order page, place your order and work will start immediately. We guarantee outcome  will exceed your expectations.

Discussing Hobbies Lesson Plan

Discussing Hobbies Lesson Plan This lesson focuses on one of the most common topics of discussion in class: Hobbies. Unfortunately, the topic of hobbies is often introduced without a lot of follow-up beyond a superficial discussion. This is most likely due to the fact that students lack the vocabulary needed to discuss hobbies in any meaningful detail. Use this lesson to first teach students the names of various hobbies, and then to delve more deeply into the individual hobbies. Use the linked resources in class by printing out the referenced pages by clicking on the printer icon in the upper right-hand corner of each page. They key to a successful discussion of hobbies is to make sure that students are allowed to explore the various steps involved in participating in a hobby. One of the best ways to do this is to develop a group project focusing on teaching other students about a new hobby. To do this well, students will need to learn new vocabulary, choose a new hobby - perhaps by exploring a hobby quiz online - break up the hobby into various phrases or tasks, and provide instructions for a slideshow that will be presented as a group to the class. Aim: Encourage deeper discussions of the specifics of a wide range of hobbies Activity: Hobby vocabulary expansion, review of imperative forms, written instructions, development of a slide show Level: Intermediate to advanced level classes Outline Choose one of your favorite hobbies and provide the instructions on how to participate in a specific phase of the hobby. Make sure to not mention the name of the hobby as students should guess which hobby you are describing.On the whiteboard, write down categories of hobbies. Solicit as many names of specific activities/hobbies that belong to each category.In order to help students learn specific names of hobbies, use this hobby vocabulary resource to help students expand their list of hobbies.Ask students to choose one new hobby from the list. Its a good idea to use an online quiz to help students choose a hobby they will find interesting, as well as learn related vocabulary that they will find useful in the future. Search on the phrase choosing a hobby quiz and youll find a wide variety of quizzes.Once students have selected a hobby, encourage them to visit a site dedicated to the hobby they have chosen. About.com has a wide selection of excellent hobby guides.Ask students to colle ct the following information for they hobby the have chosen:Skills RequiredEquipment RequiredEstimated Cost Review the imperative form as used for giving instructions. Provide an example of your own such as playing volleyball, writing a poem, building a model, etc. Its best to choose one phase of the hobby, rather than trying to provide instructions to the hobby in general (people write entire books on that!). Make sure to use the imperative form in your description.Ask students to describe the various phases in their chosen hobby. For example for building a model:Choosing a Model To BuildSetting up Your WorkspaceGluing Pieces TogetherPainting Your ModelTools to UseEach student of each group then provides steps to achieving the specific task/phase using the imperative form.Once each phase description has been described, ask students to find photos/pictures using a Creative Commons resources such as Flikr, Free Clip Art site, etc.Create a PowerPoint or other slideshow with just one slide for each phrase/task of the hobby.Have students present their chosen hobby to the rest of the class usin g the slideshow theyve created with each student using the instructions theyve developed for their respective slides.

Toulmin Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toulmin Analysis - Essay Example The backing is also reinforced by the claim that the Web is godsend to the narrator as a writer. The backing is also emphasized by not only the assertion that research that used to be carried out in days is now done in minutes, but also the assertion that the author when not working spends a lot of time in the Web’s info-thickets’ reading (Carr 2). Additionally, the backing is emphasized by the assertion that the more time spent on the web makes a person to straggle stay focused on lengthy pieces of writing. There qualifier for the argument is that the Net has become a universal medium that provides most information which flows not only through eyes and ears, but also the mind (Carr 4). A direct rebuttal to the claim that the Internet is affecting the way we think appears in this article. The narrator claims that the advantage of accessing such an incredible of information are diverse and many. In support of the rebuttal, the narrator claims that media supply the stuff of thought as well as shape the process of

Strategic forecasting in support of proactive engagement Responding to Essay

Strategic forecasting in support of proactive engagement Responding to uncertainty in Somalia - Essay Example Much as the western civilization is so prolific in the accumulation of economic prowess it no doubt that the civilization is condemned by itself. Crisis prevention, conflict transformation and peace-building should be at the centre stage in Somalia. The world at large should come out clear to fight this crisis. Restoration of sanity in Somalia should borrow a leaflet from post-conflict countries, where all warring factions. To this end, it is taken into account, for instance, that all population groups must have equal access to inputs, and every effort is made to ensure that the weaker party to the conflict is not disadvantaged. The need for a comprehensive strategy is needed with all the urgency. War is simply a disease of the body politics; a pathological condition which can be traced to abnormalities in the social or economic structures or to the racial characteristics of particular peoples. Historians on the other hand do not discuss war from the aspect of good or evil normality or abnormality, health or disease. For them it is simply the use of violence by states for enforcement, the protection or extension of their political power. War in Somalia has left an estimated 400,000 Somali's displaced since the (IFG) backed by the Ethiopian army entered Mogadishu last December to eject Islamic courts union (ICU) The UNHCR estimate 124,000 people have fled Mogadishu since Feb. 2004 while 73,000 are reported to have left capital Mogadishu. 1.2 Definition of the Anomaly. Conflicts in Africa date back to 1884 when the continent was balkanized into colonies by European powers. The state, in trying to assist to bring order amid disorder, merely adds another dimension to the conflict. External actors to a conflict should be identified and brought to participate in the conflict resolution. The mind must be decolonized so that conflict resolution and peace building and dialogue can be regionalized and, where appropriate globalize. Early warning responding units involving CSO, up to the community level, should be in a position to soften the edges between groups. This includes suggesting other ways of resolving issues that recourse to arms. There is need to study the countries success stories. In cases where there is internalization of conflict international actors are quick to respond to bring peace to the area. Consideration, therefore ought to be given to the internationalization of peace building process. The presence of the UN force and the Ethiopian military occupation is a reflection of a political hostility. However, this is to be blamed on external forces reverberating waves of fear in the Nation of Somalia, consequently, it is futile to try to regulate or reduce military forces separately from their underlying political issues. Basically hostility should be resolved, through the reduction in arms. This will bring sanity and a sense of security among residents. To attempt control of military forces before removing the political sources of friction or threat is to put the cart before the horse. 1.3 Rationale. The basic point should be stressed again no arms-control plaint will remain effective and dependable unless it continues to serve the national interest of Somalia and its warring factions as its leaders conceive those interest. In reaching their judgments they would however appraise the alternatives. The main function of inspection and of remedies available to the other parties is to make